Mr Mollison, who is a member of the Lib Dem group that forms the ruling administration with the Tories and Alligned Independents, went so far as to say the cuts felt at odds with the role of a councillor to help and support local people.

“The whole process is quite depressing,” he said.

“We have had to take decisions that we didn’t want to take, but we are obliged to balance the books and cut our cloth accordingly.

“We are doing things that I and I’m sure the majority of my colleagues are uncomfortable with, but that’s life.

“You can’t live beyond your means and councils are not allowed to live beyond their means.”